The tall man led them into the city. Ah Jin looked at him several times, "Didn't you say you were a refugee?"
I knew he was a spy from Liangcheng, specifically blending in with the refugees to ruin their plans, huh.
The tall man gave him a cold look and said, "Zeng Zhiqiang, the general flag of the Qingping County Lord, is here to help the refugees solve their problems on the orders of the county lord."
As the first group of officials to follow Mu Wanqing, they were different from others. They were not simply superiors or subordinates to her, but they served her as their master.
As soon as Mu Wanqing took office, she transferred Lord Zeng and his brothers to her side, ready to take her orders at any time.
"You guys actually dared to stir up trouble in the county lord's territory. You really don't know how to live or die."
Who is Mu Wanqing? She is extremely smart and can make decisions at a distance.
Xu Yong and his companions became even more frightened, but they had to hold on.
"We didn't do anything. We just came to Liangcheng to seek refuge with everyone..."
Lord Zeng chuckled, "Those who thought they were smart thought they could hide it from the county lord, but what happened? They all disappeared without a trace."
The dog trembled, "Master Zeng, we are really good citizens."
He wished he could have the word "good citizen" written on his face.
Mr. Zeng sneaked into the refugees and got a lot of information. "If the county lady says yes, then it is. If she says no, you are bandits and I will not accept any rebuttal."
Xu Yong: …
The group of people were nervous, their faces were filled with fear, and their hands and feet were shaking.
But, to their surprise, they were taken to dinner.
Xu Yong looked at a pot of red vegetables, he had never seen it before, "What is this?"
A yamen runner handed them a bowl and said, "The county lady specifically requested spicy tofu with rice. You are in for a treat today. You can enjoy it with her."
Each person has a bowl of rice with toppings. After mixing it a little, the shiny rice emits an enticing aroma.
But everyone was hesitant, thinking, wouldn’t this be the last meal for execution?
Ah Niu couldn't resist the temptation and took a bite. He was immediately shocked by the delicious taste and couldn't help but burst into tears.
Oh my god, what kind of divine delicacy is this?
A Jin on the other side trembled with both hands, "Aniu, is this meal so bad that you're crying?"
Ah Niu silently looked up at him and nodded vigorously, "Well, it's too disgusting. Why don't you give me your bowl of rice and I'll help you finish it."
Before Ah Jin could react, Xu Yong had already picked up the chopsticks and started eating. He paused, then sped up and wolfed down the food.
Forget it, even if it’s my last meal before execution, I have to eat my fill.
After the meal, they were brought to Mu Wanqing, "County Lady, I brought them all here."
Mu Wanqing flipped through a document without even looking up. "Tell me about your background and the purpose of your trip."
She wore no makeup, only a yellow dress and a golden crown, and she looked energetic and beautiful.
Everyone looked at her blankly. This was Princess Qingping.
Xu Yong said dryly, "County Lady, you have misunderstood us. We all come from poor backgrounds and our families have suffered..."
Mu Wanqing looked up and glanced at him, her eyes indifferent and without a trace of emotion.
Xu Yong's words were stuck in his throat, and a chill rose in his heart.
These eyes were not those of an innocent girl raised in seclusion; they were powerful, cold and ruthless.
Mu Wanqing's eyes swept over everyone, "Can you read?"
Before Xu Yong could say anything, Ah Jin said, "No, we can't read."
There was a hint of sarcasm in Mu Wanqing's eyes. There are always some smart-aleck guys.
"That's a shame. I was going to assign you some easy clerical work. So go build the roads."
Everyone's faces changed. "What? Road repair?"
Mu Wanqing waved her hand, and someone immediately pulled them down.
"Brother Zeng, send someone to keep an eye on them and continue to dig deeper. I still need them for some use."
"yes."
"Write me a report on what happened this time." Mu Wanqing was still very caring towards her own people. "I will recommend you for merit, and it's time to get a promotion."
Mr. Zeng was delighted and said, "Thank you, County Lady."
As soon as he left, Mu Wanqing called the Mu Zicheng brothers.
"Brother, you are in charge of the land reclamation. Keep an eye on the movements of this group of refugees. If there is anything wrong, report it immediately."
Although a team was split up, there are still more than 5,000 people working on the new land, which will be very troublesome if not handled properly.
"Yes." Mu Zicheng is like a brick, he will be moved wherever he is needed and will work hard without complaint.
He is growing rapidly and is now able to stand on his own.
Mu Wanqing is quite confident in him and will send more people to him when the time comes.
"Second brother, father is in charge of the farm and workshop, and you are in charge of a few small farms. Don't take it lightly."
There were a total of 4,000 people doing odd jobs and farming, and they were assigned to different farms.
The two workshops are being expanded, and the cotton has entered its maturity stage and will be ready for picking soon.
After the cotton is picked, it needs to undergo simple rough processing, including drying, cleaning, fluffing and spinning, which are all time-consuming and laborious tasks.
After that, it is further processed into various cotton products, as well as cotton ball alcohol, pressed oil, glycerin, etc.
All of these require a lot of manpower.
Just over 20,000 refugees cannot fill this gap at all, and we have to continue to find ways to recruit people.
It has to be said that Xu Yong and his companions made things difficult for her this time.
Well, that’s not enough, we also have to recycle waste.
Listen to me saying thank you, because you make the four seasons warm!
Groups of people walked into the house and walked out, coming and going like flowing water.
As decrees were issued one after another, the entire Liangcheng started to operate.
Mu Wanqing finally stopped and took a sip of tea, "Go and invite the two colleagues over."
Soon, two colleagues came to her one after another.
"County Master, what do you want?"
Mu Wanqing asked them to sit down, and the maid served them tea and snacks.
After they had eaten a few snacks, Mu Wanqing got to the point, "Where will the cost of land reclamation come from?"
Sun Tongzhi was used to crying poor, "Huh? The government has no money, how about you donate some more..."
Mu Wanqing said calmly, "Donating money is impossible, but I can give money."
She has a clear distinction between public and private affairs, and the boundaries are clear, but these people in the government are mixed up.
"What do you mean?" Sun Tongzhi was confused. Isn't it the same meaning?
Mu Wanqing didn't want to beat around the bush with them. Time was precious and she had been staying up late for several days in a row. This wouldn't do.
"If I pay, it will be in my name. If the government pays, it will be in the government's name. This matter involves me personally, so I have to avoid suspicion, so you guys should discuss it."
What she said was reasonable and frank. The two colleagues looked at each other and exchanged glances.
"This... let's discuss this first."
Mu Wanqing acted decisively, "I'll give you one day, because I plan to plant some forage grass after clearing the land. If you don't plant it now, it will be too late."
"No problem." Jiang Tongzhi was also very happy.
It was said to be a discussion, but in fact it was to ask Coach Du for his opinion.
As soon as it was time to get off work, the two colleagues came to visit.
Coach Du pondered for a while. He shouldn't have intervened. However, although this matter looked simple, it actually involved many aspects.
"It will be put in the name of the government. If there is not enough money, we can transfer it from our Du family's treasury."
He knew that the government was very poor and could barely pay last month's salaries.
Jiang Tongzhi shook his head subconsciously, "That's not necessary. We searched the He family not long ago..."
"Cough cough." Sun Tongzhi on the side coughed violently.
Jiang Tongzhi's expression froze. What a pig-brained man! He brought up something else!
"Gather the properties of the wealthy merchants who have escaped. Sell what needs to be sold and rent what needs to be rented. This income should be able to support the reclamation of the land for a period of time."
Let’s talk about it if it’s not enough. Anyway, with Mu Wanqing, the God of Wealth, here, there is nothing to be afraid of.
The three of them discussed for a while and reached a consensus.
Tongzhi Sun found an excuse to leave first, and Tongzhi Jiang stayed to have dinner with Du Shuai.
The entire Du Mansion was deserted. The mansion really felt different without a hostess.
The meals at the Du residence were simple, with three dishes and one soup for two people, all of which were ordinary home-cooked dishes.
This is because there were two extra dishes because of the guests. Usually, Du Shuai’s food is more simple.
Tongzhi Jiang looked at the food on the table: a dish of braised pork, a dish of stir-fried vegetables, a dish of stir-fried tofu, a bowl of vegetable soup, and a pot of steamed buns.
If you tell others about it, who would believe that the highest-ranking local official eats so simply?
In contrast, those powerful and wealthy people who eat delicacies from land and sea every day are extremely extravagant.
He felt unhappy, "Father, your food is too simple. There is no need to be so frugal."
Du Shuai is very strict with himself, but when the government is short of money, he takes money from his own treasury without hesitation.
"This is considered good. Usually, we can just eat steamed buns during the war."
He is not picky about food and clothing, as long as he can make do with it.
What’s more, his son is fighting on the front line and he doesn’t know if he can have a hot meal. How can he be in the mood to eat and drink?
Jiang Tongzhi silently gave him a piece of braised pork. This recipe became popular after Mu Wanqing came to Liangcheng, and everyone liked it very much.
Du Shuai couldn't eat any more after eating two pieces of braised pork. He couldn't help but sigh, "I'm really old."
Jiang Tongzhi looked at Du Shuai with a head full of silver hair. He looked ten years older than his actual age. He was too worried.
"Father, you are alive and well, which is a great comfort to the people of Xiliang. You will always be the irreplaceable General Du."
The people still love him and have not forgotten his contribution in guarding the border for decades.
General Du shook his head slightly. He didn't have any ideas now. He just hoped that Du Shaoxuan could lead the Du family army to win this war.
"What do you think about letting Jingshu come out to work?"
Jingshu is Miss Du. He values his only son the most, loves his youngest daughter the most, but relies on his eldest daughter the most.
Every child is his treasure.
He didn't ask for anything else, just hoped that his children could learn more, as it is always good to have more skills.
His hope is that his children can still survive independently and live a glorious life without the family halo or wealth.
If it were in the past, Jiang Tongzhi would definitely not agree. Women should just stay at home to take care of children, eat, drink, and socialize.
But now I have different ideas.
Anyone who has seen Mu Wanqing's elegance will be overwhelmed by her unique charm.
How should I put it? It’s not the kind of admiration between men and women, but the admiration for a strong person.
"I fully support it. It would be best if I could work with Mu Wanqing. You don't know how fast the Mu brothers have grown. I am a little jealous."
Du Shuai raised his eyebrows, "She only brought the Mu brothers?"
"Yes, she is very sensible and has grasped the degree just right, not a bit more or less." The person Jiang Tongzhi admired most in his life was Du Shuai, and now there was Mu Wanqing.
He sighed softly, "I really don't know how she can achieve this at such a young age?" She is decisive in her work and decent and generous in her life.
It is an invisible rule that you need to bring your own team. You always need some help.
But, it can’t look like your own stuff, just bring it over if it’s from someone with the surname Mu.
"It's natural." Du Shuai's voice sounded softly, with a hint of melancholy and envy.
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